


The Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom

by HufflepuffleMarauder



Category: Kung Fu Panda (Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Deleted Scenes, Fluff, Gen, Po is too pure, they're just friends here sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:14:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23982898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HufflepuffleMarauder/pseuds/HufflepuffleMarauder
Summary: Tigress has said many things she regrets and she wishes she could take it all back. So one day, under the peach tree of heavenly wisdom, she decides to atone for her sins and gives a much needed apology.
Relationships: Po & Tigress (Kung Fu Panda)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 45





	The Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom

"I'm sorry."

  
Tigress whispered the two words into the silence of the night, while leaning against the peach tree of heavenly wisdom, only illuminated by a singular lantern. It was their usual spot to sit and watch the sky. At first only Tigress herself inhabited it, going there when she needed a break from the bustling life of the village and Jade Palace. But one day she found Po sitting there instead. She ended up scaring the life out him with just a tap on the shoulder, which was quite entertaining. Soon it became a sort of routine for them, when things got too chaotic, escape to the peach tree. 

  
Po turned round to look at her. "What for?"

  
She gave a sigh. "Everything."

  
A heavy silence fell between them. Po knew exactly what she was talking about. 

  
It had been two months since the defeat of Tai Lung and within that time Po had turned her life around with as much intensity as when he fell from the sky in a ball of fire. He fit in nicely with the Five and soon became everyone's best friend after many dinners provided by his skilful cooking. His good humour and positive outlook on life had helped everyone loosen up a bit after being a little too straight-laced. Monkey and Mantis had always been good in that regard, but in the last year their jokes and pranks weakened. Viper had voiced one day that it was that they were all getting older and training was bound to become rigorous rather than fun, as well as their growing reputation of hardened warriors. Tigress had accepted that readily, all set to be the hardcore person she was when she was the only student at the Jade Palace. 

  
But that still didn't mean she wanted to be hardcore.

  
She closed her eyes in guilt of the memories of the past months. "I made... some bad decisions and said some things that I regret." 

  
Po snorted, which earned him a glare. "I _know_ you regret those things, so don't worry about it." He smiled at her warmly and shuffled slightly to get in a more comfortable position. 

  
Tigress stared at him incredulously. How could he be so... nonchalant? It was so typical of Po, she wanted to shake her head at his ridiculousness. "But all that stuff I said-"

  
"And?" She almost flinched, slightly taken aback as he'd never interrupted her before. "The stuff that you guys said about me was pretty justified if I'm being honest, so I don't blame you." Po shrugged as if it was nothing. 

  
Tigress sat up in outrage, ruining the peaceful moment. "But it wasn't justified! It really wasn't!" She said firmly, annoyed by the hint of self-loathing in his voice. "What I said to you was the worst thing I've ever done and the worst thing is that at the time I _meant_ it and though I regret it I have yet to tell you!" 

  
Though in that moment she'd already lost a lot of her pride, she was not going to stoop low enough to admit her most obvious flaw, jealousy. She had many reasons to be jealous and bitter, but none of those reasons were good enough to treat Po the way she did. It was stupid and childish, really. But for years she felt her bitterness towards Tai Lung grow until she herself became sour when approached by the subject. For much of her life she was angry and frustrated at someone she'd never even met, all because he had ruined her life without even trying to. When she had first been adopted Shifu never talked about Tai Lung, but upon realising that she overhead gossip from the fellow geese servants he decided to educate her. Shifu wasn't the most... tactful of masters. When telling the tale he couldn't stop himself from showering praise on his ex-student. He actually smiled a few times and it was the happiest she'd ever seen him.

  
Tigress of course, being the emotional cub she was, took this to heart. 

  
The adult Tigress broke eye contact with Po and looked out to the valley, taking a deep breath. "I've never regretted something so much in my life. I judged you unfairly and ostracised you even when everyone else accepted you. I had absolutely no faith that you would defeat Tai Lung and I even tried and _failed_ at doing it myself because of a long-held grudge - not to mention the others got roped in to our pathetic battle. And I've been such a _horrible_ person because all this anger I felt towards _him_ I projected onto you. It wasn't _fair_ and I'm so _sorry_ , Po."

  
She looked back at Po who, had an odd look on his face and seemed like he was struggling for words. "It - it hurt - you know, what you guys said about me." His voice was strained and small and his eyes focused on a spot far away just above her shoulder.

  
No amount of guilt could make her feel as bad as she did in that moment. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. All those things I said, they're not true, and you must never feel like they are true. You're one of the best people I've ever met and I'm so glad you stayed. I'm so sorry I made you feel inadequate." She whispered, unable to face him any longer and instead looked down at her paws. "If you'll never forgive me, I understand." _I wouldn't forgive me either._

  
There was silence for a moment, then some more shuffling around and Tigress feared that Po had walked away. _I don't blame him._

  
"The mark of a true warrior is strength," Po said confidently, she looked up and he was kneeling in front of her with their noses only inches apart. "the mark of a true friend is also strength, more specifically the strength to apologise for a mistake."

  
_Wait, what?_

  
He grinned at her silence. "Your apology is accepted, now let's go back to being friends." 

  
He plucked two peaches from the branch scraping his head and offered one to her. 

  
She breathed an inward sigh of relief and satisfied herself with a slight chuckle at Po's oddities. "I've never had one of these," She took it from his open paw and examined what she'd been deprived all her years at the Palace. "I was always scared Shifu would find out and shout at me." 

  
Po gaped at her then shook his head in disbelief. "Shifu needs to chill, Oogway was cool with it." Tigress laughed at his choice of words and took a bite. 

  
It was the best peach she'd ever tasted.

**Author's Note:**

> I love the end of the first movie where they all bow to Po, but I felt like it needed something extra, not getting to see an apology just didn't sit right with me. 
> 
> I have a feeling that Po is the type to really hate confrontation? Idk I feel like he just wants to avoid conflict.
> 
> I've just realised there are romantic undertones if you read between the lines lmao, I don't ship but you readers can get creative. 
> 
> Did I use too many italics? If I did please tell me because they're all over my fics


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